As we’ve decided to publish notes from our regular monthly tastings as a guide for a wider audience, here are the wines we tasted last April at our 147th tasting, focused on wines from the Utiel-Requena area. We hope you enjoy the read as much as our attendees enjoyed the wines.
Introduction.
At April event, we tasted six wines, three new wines from Coviñas, a new Vermut, a white from and the Proava Bronze-winning red from Utielanas.
The Vermut
- Vermut Serranilla Blanc, Bodegas Utielanas, Utiel 15 % ABV
A brand new Vermut from Utielanas, who have had a red Vermut with this name for some time. Described as a Vermut with a white wine base, not identified by them and a careful selection of herbs. Lemon yellow colour, clean and bright. On the nose, light and fresh, with floral and spicy notes, the base wine gives no hints as to its variety.
In the mouth, it is very clean and well-defined. The spices are the protagonists, with floral notes; the spices are nutmeg and cinnamon predominantly. Not a citric note to be found! In style, this reminds us of a Chambery. A very pleasant, easy aperitif with a perfect bitter/sweet balance.
The White Wines
- Bellamarina Blanc, 2025 Produced by Coviñas, Vino Blanco de España 12.5 % ABV
A blend of Mediterranean varieties, mainly local but including the French variety Colombard, about 15 hectares of which are grown in the Malaga area. It is, of course, the grape variety of the Charente region, where it is the main grape for Cognac and Armagnac. It is also blended with Manseng in Gascony. It is also grown in California and South Africa, in both of which it produces fruity wines (guava is a common characteristic), but also adds good acidity.
Pale yellow, clean and bright with green flashes. On the nose, it is expressive, floral, fruity and fresh. White fruits blend with citrus and white flower notes, which produce an elegant, sophisticated, Mediterranean-style wine. Fresh and balanced in the mouth with citrus and floral notes mixing perfectly to give a fluid texture and well-rounded finish.
- Sueños del Mediterráneo Macabeo, 2024 Bodegas Utielanas, DO Utiel-Requena, 12% ABV
A White from Macabeo, with a pass through oak. We tasted the Garnacha from this range in the special tasting of Institutional wines from DO Utiel-Requena. It may well be the first time in several tastings since we had a pure Macabeo! Pale straw in colour, clean and bright.
On the nose, creamy, fresh and floral nose (white flowers) with hints of apple, a note from the oak, and vanilla.
In the mouth, this is clean, with a good volume on entry, the oak and the acidity balance the fruit nicely, and it has a good, long finish. Elegant white wine to enjoy with food.
The Rosado
- Bellamarina Rosado 2025, Produced by Coviñas, Vino Rosado de España, 13% ABV
Unapologetically Provençal in style, indeed, its very existence is deliberate. Made with (unspecified Mediterranean varieties, such as Garnacha and with Colombard again for certain). About as pale rose-coloured as it possibly could be, clean and bright with that Mediterranean freshness. Fresh on the nose, wild flowers, little red fruits, Mediterranean herbs, and peachy fruit. In the mouth, fresh, light to medium bodied, fruity notes, balanced, clean and refreshing, again with a mineral note (though lighter than in the white) and a good satisfying long finish. This is one of those wines which keep inviting you back for another sip and would be difficult to differentiate from Provençal rosados in a blind tasting.
The Red Wines
- Al Vent Merlot, 2025 Bodegas Coviñas DO Utiel-Requena 13.5% ABV
When Coviñas first introduced their range of monovarietal wines, the Merlot was one of our favourites, full of varietal characteristics; it was great for teaching what varieties should taste like, and we used it a lot.
This newly reconfigured Al Vent ( to meet the fruity, concentrated, varietally consistent requirements of the market) is still very good indeed! Profound deep red colour with blue flashes, especially at the edge. Red and black fruit, typical of the Mediterranean, damson, plum, cherry and blackberry, a little raspberry, which gives a slightly brambly note. In the mouth, fruity and direct on entry, smooth tannins with the fruit predominating. A mineral note from the soils. Fresh, persistent finish.
- Castillo de Utiel 2025 , Tinto Selección, Bobal , Bodegas Utielanas, DO Utiel-Requena, 13% ABV
This is the first of the Proava prize winners we will be bringing you in tastings to come…although you have already tried the Bobal Brut Espumoso, which won the Gold medal in that section. The 2025 young Reds showed extremely well, probably the best since 2017. They all demonstrate the shift in the market. This won the Bronze in the ‘Young Reds’ group.
Made in the traditional method with good extraction from the maceration, then fermentation and malolactic fermentation, stabilisation, clarification, filtering and then bottling. No wood involved. Cherry red colour with typical violet edge.
On the nose, concentrated fruit (red fruits of the forest and mature red fruit such as cherry).
In the mouth, it is fruity, meaty, with sufficient volume, glycerine and a long, silky finish.
This tasting was a real success, with guests enjoying the experience and buying plenty of cases from all the wines presented.
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